We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dallas Burdett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dallas below.
Alright, Dallas thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
When you’re a hairstylist your mission isn’t just “to do hair”. Your mission is to help people feel more confident in their own skin. Your job is connecting with people, understanding their needs and wants and turning it into reality.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I knew from a very young age that I wanted to do something to help others. In my younger years I was leaning towards nursing because people said would make me “successful” and “financially stable”. However, that wasn’t something I was sure about. My mom saw my creativity and my outgoing personality and suggested going to cosmetology school. At first I thought it was crazy because you had to be so talented to do that but, part of me was very excited and weirdly confident. I worked really hard at getting into my schools ROP program which allowed me to go to cosmetology school and highschool at the same time and acquire credits. They were only taking 14 students from the entire Hart School District and I couldn’t believe it when I got accepted. From the middle of my junior year in highschool to almost the end of my senior year I was attending two schools at the same time. I was gone 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Monday through Friday I was at school at 6:15 in the morning, leaving at 11:20, driving to the valley, attending beauty school and then getting home at 6-6:30 at night. From 4 classes of homework and tests to cutting doll heads and studying the law of color , it was a lot to handle at 16 years old but I loved every minute of it. I earned my cosmetology license before I graduated high school and started assisting at my dream job a month after graduation at 17 years old. I assisted there for almost three years and I would do it all over again if I had to. Assisting was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do but, it was so worth it. It taught me everything I needed in order to go out on my own and made me into the woman I am today. I learned the importance of putting in the work in order to get the reward. Once Covid hit, my career took a hit. I was in-between building a clientele and assisting. I had to make a choice, I couldn’t keep doing both. I chose my business and stopped assisting. I took a break from it for about 6 months and I still regret that to this day. After awhile I really started to miss it, hair is my calling and my passion. I still remember to this day, the first client I worked on after my hiatus and I was the happiest I had been in months. I was working in my loft in my home for awhile however, I wasn’t as invested in myself as I should’ve been. Looking back now, I wish I started believing in myself sooner. In February of 2022 I decided to take a leap of faith and open my own business even though I didn’t have a lot of money or clients. All I had was my faith and my love for hair. I knew I was talented and had the means to handle whatever was thrown at me. Thus, Dallas Hair Design was born. I got a business license, a sellers permit, and business insurance all in one night, I cried tears of joy knowing I was on the right path. I signed my lease at Salon Republic Valencia in May of 2022 and it was the BEST decision for my business and myself. I started utilizing social media as a tool instead of a hobby. I posted all my work quite frequently on different social media platforms to help boost clientele and word of mouth. I made business cards, brochures, even started a yelp page, I started using a booking app instead of my calendar & created a link for clients to book with me. To sum it all up, I reinvented my business from basic to luxury. Once I started putting in all the work that I should’ve been doing all along, it really paid off. I was getting new clients at least every other day and still am. At the start of 2022 I had 32 clients. We are in March of 2023 and I have 148 clients. I have never been so proud of myself or my business as I am today. The best part of my job is making people feel beautiful in their own skin. Seeing their faces light up when I’m all done is what makes me get out of bed in the morning. I am so grateful for everyone that has helped me get here from clients, family, friends and mentors that I learned from in my earlier years. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here today. I’m so excited to see what the future holds for myself and my business. Cheers to 2023!
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I didn’t have a lot of help starting out, my mom was definitely an inspiration. She was a single parent and acquired everything on her own and I never went without. I never wanted to ask her for help because I knew how hard she was working to make ends meet. I started saving money from clients I was doing at my house and putting it in a savings account. Between that and a credit card I made it work. My biggest piece of advice is don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. Opening a credit card or a loan may be really scary but paying it off with the money you earned from your successful business is worth the risk.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
In this industry a popular belief is speed is more important than anything else. I once had a hairdresser tell me that if I continued to take 4 hours on a client that I would never make it because no one wants to wait that long. That’s not true. I have gained speed over time but I never care how long a service takes, all I care about is doing it right & making my client happy. I always warn clients how long certain services take and offer snacks and drinks to make their visit with me more comfortable. I’ve never had any problems with clients because they are always happy with the results. Take your time and do it right. Don’t worry about the clock.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://salonrepublic.com/find-a-beauty-professional/listing/dallas-hair-design/
- Instagram: @dallasburdetthair
- Yelp: Dallas Hair Design
- Other: https://form.jotform.com/212025564412041?fbclid=PAAaaDRTbPQxT8gAqGjypKB4GPbLUXd-cGln17XuVMOJ2YJcPSir8UyR-E9ac This is how to book with me so you can put “Client Request Form” with this link